Miss Mary Lillian Duke facts for kids

Miss Mary Lillian Duke is a painting created in 1911 by the Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla. It is an oil painting on canvas.

What the Painting Shows

This painting is kept at the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham. It shows a portrait of Mary Lillian Duke (1887–1960). She was 24 years old when this portrait was painted.

Mary is shown in a park. One of her hands rests on a statue's base. In her other hand, she holds a black hat. She wears a scarf that matches her hair color. This creates a nice contrast with her light-colored dress.

Her white dress looks a bit like ancient Greek statues. These statues were often white. To make the portrait even prettier, Mary has a bright red rose pinned to her dress. The red flower really stands out.

History of the Painting

This painting was one of four that Benjamin Duke sent to Sorolla. They were meant for his new home in New York.

Later, Nicholas Duke Biddle gave the painting to Duke University. Nicholas was a relative of Mary Lillian Duke Biddle. Since then, the painting has been part of the collection at the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham.

See also

• In Spanish: Miss Mary Lillian Duke para niños